Improvement in organs



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEo IIORATIO N. GOODMAN, OF SYRAOUSE, NEV YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN ORGANS.

Specification, forming part ef Letters ,Patent No. 103,448, dated May 3f-l, 1870.

tion, reference being had to the accompanying drawing', making part of this specification, in-

which- Figure l is a perspective view ot' my improvement, with a portion ofthe shell forming the reverberatory chamber broken away, showing the reed-tubes; aml Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through line at' y, Fig. ll.

Similar letters of reference denote corresponding-parts in both the figures.

My invention has 'for itsobjeet the modification ofthe tone produced by the reed in that class of pipes known as reed-pipes, in order to enable me to form a greater variety of combinations of stops in organs, and more particularly to provide a solo-stop for the cabinet or reed organs in general use, and in which the marked predominance of the harsh reedy quality ot' the tone has heretofore been very obiectionable.

My construction is more particularly applicable to that class of instruments in which are used free rceds-that is, reeds which are 'narrower and shorter than the slot or throat over which they are placed, so that they can pass freely through the throat during their vibration, said vibration being caused by a current ot' air sucked or drawn through the throat by means ot' an exhaust, instead ot' being1 forced through by a direct blast from the bellows.

The invention consists, first, in combining with the reed-tubes a reverberatory chamber, for the purpose ot' collecting the sound produced by the vibration of the said reed, and returning or detiecting it back through said tubes, and thence out through a pipe of suitable size and form 5 second, in providing the reed-tubes with one or more perforations, .for the purpose of allowing free ingress of air, for vibrating the reed without disturbing the columu of sound which is ascending in the pipes.

In the drawing, A represents the exhaustchambcr, which corresponds to the wind-chest in organs where the direct blast is used. Above chamber A is placed the reed-board B, constructed substantially in the ordinary 1n anner that is, with a series of grooves or chambers, b, forming reed-tubes upon its upper surface, each groove or chamber being separated from its neighbor by a partition, as plainly shown in Fig. l. Each of these reed-tubes is made to communicate with the cxhaustchamber A. by means of a slot, a, Fig. 2, and the reed al is secured in the reed-tubes substantially in the manner which is customary in this class of instruments. Valve A may be operated by tripping-rod c?, or its equivalent.

B is areverberatery chamber, extending transversely across in front ofthe ends ol" the reed-tubes,substautiallyas shown in thedrawing. The size ot' this chamber is not governed by any arbitrary rule, so far as fl know, but in practice I have found the best size to be about the same height as the tubes, and of; a width equivalent to about lone-third their length.

O C are pipes, inserted in peribrations in the reed-tubes, (one to each reed,) for the purpose ot' modifying the tone produced by said reed. These pipes may be made of either wood or metal, though, on account ot' economy and convenience in working7 l` usually prefer to make them ol.' metal. I place them prel'erabl y over the reed, about midway of its length, but this position may not be essentials D is a guide or rest board, placed parallel to the reed-board, and a short distance above it,for the purpose ofsteadyin g the pipes which pass through it, as plainly shown in the draw- 1n Each of the reed-tubes is provided with one or more pertorations or inlets, c,through which the air is-admitted to the reed, one of these perforations being shown in the end ot' the tubes in liig. 2, and others in the top ot' the tubes in. 'Fi l. I regard the end of the tube opposite the reverberatory chamber as being the best place for these inlets, and, under some circumstances, I find it advisable to place a board or wing in au upright position a short distance in front of the inlets in the end ofthe reed-tubes.

'hen the size ofthe pipes is such as to make it necessary, I adapt the following plan or system of arranging them I. place one as near as possible to the front of the reed-board I then place the next one alittle in its rear, then the next one a little in the rear of that,

until there is room for another in front. Then I proceed as before, thus placing them in diagonal rows. This arrangement ena-bles me to utilize the entire surface ofthe reed-board, and make a compact construction.

Pipes C are shown as having open tops, while pipe C is closed at its upper end, and has an opening, c', in one side, for the escape of the sound. I also make some of my pipes with a Hat cap at the upper end, provided with a small outlet-tube similar to the flute-stop o'l1 an ordinary organ, and, by means of these various forms, I am enabled to produce a greater number of combinations than can be obtained in reed-organs in any other manner.

I connect the shell ormin g the reverberatory chamber with the reed-board by hinges b1, so that I can raise said shell, for the purpose ol having more ready access to the reeds and reed-tubes, and confine said chamber in proper position, when closed, by means of hooks b2, or their equivalent.

By varying the size of the pipes to correspond with the size ofthe reed, and also varying the forni of the open pipes, making them more flaring as I approach the upper register ot' the instrument, l am enabled to give each stop greater uniformity ot' quality, character, and strength oi" tone throughout its entire compass, imitating the diapasons, both open and stopped, the principal, the dulciana, and

vibration of the reed without using the pipcsi for that purpose. This allows the column or wave of sound to be thrown back from the rc- Verberatory chamber, and out through the pipes, without being disturbed by a countercurrent of air, and the size Iand position ol" these inlets seem to effect the purity of the tone in a manner analogous to the changes produced in ordinary wooden or metal blastpipes, by the various methods ol' voicing employed by organ-builders.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

I. In combination with the reed tubes and pipes of a reed-organ having an exhaust-bellows, the reverberatorgv chamber B', substan tially as set forth.

2. The reed-tubes b, provider'l with inlets or air-passages c, substantially as set forth.

3. The conibination ot' the reverberatory chamber B, reed-tubes b, pipes C or C, and inlets c, substantially as set l'orth.

`Witnesses: HORATIO N. GOODMAN.

JAMES MORGAN, HARRY EnFoRD. 

